When I step into the water, I always go back and forth thinking about whether I should wear my flip flops or not. It can be slippery, slimy, and sometimes painful and rocky to set bare feet into the water. But not all flip flops do well underwater.
Given the choice between walking barefoot in a lake or by the shore of the ocean or walking with flip flops that aren’t designed for water, I’ll always choose to walk barefoot. Nothing feels worse than having to drag heavy flip flops by your toes, slowing yourself down as you try to walk through shallow water.
Yet, somehow, Hari Mari has created a leather flip flop that is as comfortable in the water as a barnacle on a boat – the Hari Mari Piers.
Hari Mari has done it again. Flip flops tend to fall into one of two general categories. Fun or Fancy. Rarely does a flip flop easily cross over from one to the other. Fun flip flops tend to be made mostly of rubber and nylon and are geared for informal days of fun at the beach, lake or pool side. Go ahead, get ‘em wet.
They take to water like a golden retriever to a duck pond. Water rolls right off without phasing them. Formal flip flops, on the other hand are almost always made of leather and water is their kryptonite.
I’d no sooner wear my fancy leather flip flops into the surf than I would my dress shoes. Water destroys leather completely. Yet, somehow, Hari Mari has created a leather flip flop that is as comfortable in the water as a barnacle on a boat – the Hari Mari Piers.
These flip flops are more than I expected, and I expected a lot. Of course, they look amazing and carry with them Hari Mari’s amazing styling that is simultaneously familiar, fashionable, and fun. I was a bit concerned initially by the fit.
My foot is true to size, however, when I first put the Piers on they were a bit short at the heel. My toes had plenty of room, but my heels felt dangerously close to the edge.
I fixed this by jamming my foot as far forward up against the memory foam toe post as I could, in hopes that it would give a bit over time and allow my heel to find its correct spot. This worked. This isn’t the first time we’ve had this issue with Hari Mari’s.
I’m not sure if it was just a one off or if they’ve changed the position of the toe post or what it may be? That said, the fit turned out to be a non-issue the more I wore them and after a couple months of solid daily wear I’m happy to report that the fit is great.
I wore my Piers to the pool, beach, and lake.
I wore my Piers to the pool, beach, and lake. I wore them into the water, and they didn’t flinch. In fact, they seemed get better the more I got them wet. The magic leather on the insole quickly molded to my feet, didn’t squeak when wet (something that almost no rubber flip flops can claim) and held their shape perfectly.
I’d go so far as to say that the water conditioned them, they were better for getting wet.
If you need further proof that the Piers were made for the pier, you need only turn them over and take a look at the outsole. The solid but forgiving rubber outsoles are obviously made to excel on wet slippery surfaces.
They lack the more typical grooves or siping of other flip flops, instead they are flat but textured, like the bottom of a swimming pool. I have not come across a flip flop as slip proof as these. I tried hard to make myself slip and slide on wet tile and they just wouldn’t. The traction is nothing short of stellar.
Hari Mari, long ago cracked the code for comfort. Their memory foam toe post is the stuff of dreams. The strap is lined with soft nylon on the inside for ultimate comfort, yet they maintain their keen styling on the top side of the strap with their wonder-water leather.
They feel every bit as good as they look. These suckers will work for any flip flop occasion from drinks at the yacht club to a barbecue at the beach. If like me, you were wondering if they can really handle the water the answer is a definitive YES.
